
:ff 



//X5 



Public Lands of the United States for Education. 



Tal'r}} fro'in the annual repGvtfor 1873 of W. ^ Euffxee, Super 
n^irnident Puhlic Instruction of Virginia. 



JJy :i treaty made i]i 1763, the middle of tlie Mississippi river war; 
made the western boundary of the British American Colonies. 
When tlie war of the Revohition occurred, all the territor}^ east of 
the Mississippi, south of the lakes and north of the 31st parallel of 
latitude, was either included within the limits of "the old tliirteen" 
States, or was claimed as belonging to some of them. Yii-ginia 
owned by far the largest and best part of the unsettled regions. 
What is now Kentucky formed a part of the State proper, and all 
that magnificent region included in the present States of Ohio, 
Indiana and Illinois belonged to Virginia, and was called her 
''North West Territory.-'' In the year 1780, at a most critical i)eriod 
of the Ivevolutionary war, when the new and struggling govern- 
ment was without a sound currency, almost without property oi* 
credit, and was rapidly accumulating a debt, the Continental ('on- 
gress urgently begged the Lee^islature of Virginia to cede lier North 
West Territory to the general government, as a measure essential to 
the public credit, and perhaps to the independence of the colonies. 
Virginia made the sacrifice, and thus ceded to the govei-nment 
nearly 130,000 square miles of territory, containing nearly 83,000,000 
acres of the richest land upon earth; but she gave it on the ex])ress 
condition that the lands thus ceded were to l)e held '^for tlw //^v ,{),ii 
licnefit of all the States''' in the Union. 

I 3'epeat this statement (already made in my report of 187J, and 
familiar to readers of history) specially because in the recent docu- 
ments issued by officials — even those professing to give a complete 
idstory of the public domain — there is no such allusion to this gi-ant 
in any terms indicating that Virginia had done anything in the 
matter of ceding territory different from what was subsequently 
done bv several other States. 



The territory lying west of the Mississippi was acquired from 
France, chieliy by the statesmanship of Thomas Jefferson, which 
culminated in the treaty of 1803, whereby the ancient province of 
Louisiana was ceded to the United Stales. The cession of Florida 
l)y Spain followed in 1819. The treaties with England made in 



J&^^' 



u 



1783, in ISiOj and 1848, treaties with the Indians, and the accjnisi- 
tion from Mexico in 1853, account for the rest, excepting the late 
purchase of Alaska. 

In the first act of Congress, passed in 1785, for -the disposition of 
these lands, it was determined that the public lands should be laid 
off into townships, and that lot No. 16 in every township should be 
reserved for the maintenance of jnoblic schools, and that two town- 
ships in every new State should be set aj>art for the svj)2:)ort of a 
imivers'iti/. 

This policy was the result of a sentiment in that cKrection ^vhich 
had been slowly growing among the colonies, both north and south, 
from the first settlement of the country. It had been inaugurated 
in Virginia soon after its first settlement, as I showed in my report 
for 1871 (p^ S^). • Massachusetts and Connecticut soon followed. In 
1781: the legislature of Georgia set apart 20,000 acres of land for the 
endowment of a college. The next year an act was passed estab- 
lishing a university, and one of the trustees of that university, Wil- 
liam Iloustoun, was at that time a member of Congress from that 
State, and was one of the committee which reported to Congress the 
bill which was passed and which set apart the above-mentioned 
portion of the public domain for public education. William Gray- 
son, of Virginia, was on the same committee. 

The Commissioner of the Genei'al Land otHce in 184:0, and the 
Secretary of the Treasury (R. J. Walker) in 1817, i-e(,'onunended 
larger grants for education in the new States and Territories, and 
it was owing partlv perhaps to this infiuence that sections Xo. 63 in 
each township, in addition to Xo. 16, was set apart for school pur- 
poses in the acts whicli created tlie Territories of Oregon and Min- 
nessota (in 18-18 and 1849 respectively.) Owing to this policy 
Minnessota is now enjoying as large a school income from Federal 
bounty, as Virginia is painfully extracting from her people by a 
State tax, and it lately had nearly 3,000,000 acres of her school 
lands yet unsold I Whilst Virginia, who endowed the Federal govern - 
]nent with 83,000,000 acres of land for the cornnion use and benefit, 
has never received anything for any purpose, except her small dis- 
tributive share of tlie Land Scrip for technical education. 

Excepting Texas, which refused to give her pul)lic. lands to the 
government, and excepting tliose States whicli were formed from 
the territory included in, or claimed by some of the older States. 
every new State and Teri-itory which has been created since 1785, has 
received its share of public lands for educational purposes : and 
besides this, 180,210,886 acres have been given away for roads and 
canals. 

Tlie practical importance of this subject is so va>t, that 1 shall be 
pardoned for repeating some facts and figures to which I haN e 
ulreadv on se\eral occasions called attention. 



'rAiii.K i, 



IHIiLK' L\:SD>. 



Ori^rinnl stattv^;. 


AllEA. 




No. acres re- 
ceived for Agri- 
cult ur'l Colleges! 
under act of .lulyl 
2, 1862. 






Square 
Miles. 


A<-res. 




New Hampshire 


9,280 

7.800 

1.306 

4.75(1 

47,000 

8,320 

46.000 

2,120 

11,124 

38,3.52 

.50,704 

,34,000 

58,000 


• 5.939.200 

4.992,000 

835,840 

3.040,000 

.30,080,000 

5,324,800 

29,440.000 

1.3,56,800 

7.119.360 

24,54.5.280 

32,450,560 

21.760.000 

37.120.000 




1.50.000 
360.000 
120,000 
180.000 
990,000 
210,000 
780,000 
90.000 
210,000 
30(1,00(1 
270,000 
180.00(1 
2711.(10(1 

3,30,(MH1 
210,000 
300.000 
180,(M(0 
150.000 
]. 50,000 
240,000 
150,000 
150,00(. 

90,000 
480,000 
390,000 
240,000 

90.000 
210,000 
240,000 
120,000 
210,000 
330,0(M1 
•90,00(1 

90.000 
630.000 

lUI.OOO 
^J10.(M)(I 






Massach usetts 






Rhode Island 






Connecticut 






New York 






New Jersey.! 






Pennsylvania 






Delaware 




Maryland 




Virginia (exc. W. Va.) 

North Carolina 

South Carolina 

<teorgia 






Total orii"-. States, 


318.7.56 


204.003,840 




S((i(>-s- .{(hlllltcl. 

Kentucky 


.37,680 
35,('0() 
45,60(1 

274,376 
10,212 
23,000 
.50.722 
.52,198 

188,981 

104,. 500 
.59,268 
55,410 
33,809 
55,045 
81,318 
. 41,346 
.56.451 
83,.531 
47.1.56 
65,3,50 
75,995 

112.090 
.39,964 
95.274 
53,924 


24.115.200 
22.400,0(Kt 
29,184.(t()0 

17.5,600.610 
6.535,680 
14.720,000 
32,462,080 
33,4(t6.72(l 

] 20,947,840 
66, 880.0(M) 
37,931..520 
35,462,4(10 
21,637,760 
35.228.800 
.52,043,520 
26,461,440 
36,128,640 
.53.459,840 
30.179,840 
41.824,(J(M» 
48.636.8(l( 
71.737.741 
25..576,960 
6!l,f<75.3()0 
34,. 51 1,360 


. 


Maine 




Tennessee 






Texas 






Vermont 






West Virginia 






Alabama. .... 


948,854 

932,.540 
6.765,404 
3.715,.5.55 
1.000,663 
1, 031,046 i 

696,.397| 

951,224' 
2.9.37.386 

832,1241 
1.113,477, 
3.0] 6,070 1 

88,3,6(54 
1.245,219 j 
2.748,124 
4.031,510 

773,(508 
3..37.5.786: 
1. ((.50.809 i 


4.930,893,56 

11,7.57,662,54 

106,0(52,392,13 

62.870,665.83 

17.54(),374,(HI 

2.000.(M) 

2.00(1,00 

3.113,464.18 

43.148,876,44 

6..582,841.,54 

5,180,640.63 

36,776,170,89 

4,930.893,56 

1,835,892.71 

42„523,t527.3f. 

67.090,382.6-i 

.500.(M( 

52.712,078.9C. 

10,016,700,8] 


Arkansas 

California 


Colorado 

Florida . 


Illinois 




Iowa 


Kansas 

Louisiana 


Michigan 

Minnesota 

MiKSissii)pi 


Missouri . 


Nebraska 

Nevada . . 


Ohio 

Oregon 

Wisconsin 




Total Stii(.>sa.l!nC(l. 


1.778.200 

113.916 

240,597 

90.932 

68,991 

143,776 

121,201 

88,056 

(59,994 

,577,390 


1.1 38. 048. 000 


38.049..5()0' 


47!».092,245,6(t 


7V, •,•//,;, •;,..>•. 

.Vrizona Ter 

Dakota 

Idaho 

Indian 


72.'.Mi(;..304 
1.53,982.080 
58.196.480 
14.1.54,240 
92.016.640 
77.,568.()40 
5(i.,355.635 
41.79(5,160 
369,.529,6(Xl 


J.O.50,.350 . 
r<..554..5()(i,. 
.3.233,137 . 


(58.S.55.954.00 
1 45,295,284.97 
54.963.343,0(1 


Montana 


5.112,035 . 
4,.3.55,448!. 
3.176,949:. 
2,.5.34,7.55|. 




86,904.605,00 
73,005,192,00 


New Mexico 


Utah 

Washington 

Alafc^ka.^ 





51,139,646.(Ht 

41,627.464,3;» 

369 529,600,00 




1 




ar.and total 1 


.3,(n 1.809 


2.092.733.779 


69.0(56.794! 




1.414,567.574.96 



WHAT SHOULD IIK DO^E WITH 'I'UK IiIOIAiXIN( ; I'TDLK; LANDS C 

Tlicy are SJH^-ht by internal improvement com[)anies, and if Con- 
gress would be favorable no doubt we should have Facitie i-aihvays.. 
credit 7noI)ilt6rs,au(]L jinaneial panics, in any number. But it is easy 
to see that all such uses open tlie door to endless corruption, legis- 
lative waste, and popular dissatisfaction. Tliere is only ore object 
on wliich it is possible to nnite, and that is popular education. 
Hence, as Governor Walker has wisely suggested, the first movement 
should be simply and solely to induce Congress to pass a joint reso- 
lution setting apart the public domain forever for the yurposes of 
education, among the States. All the friends of education can unite 
npon this resolution and pass it promptly, without encumbering it 
with any of those details which ci-eate parties. 

It is well known that bills disposing of tlie public land:? for edu- 
cational purposes came near being passed in Congress both last 
winter and tlie winter before. The first movement aimed to secure 
the entire amount for common school education. Subsecpiently the 
friends of the colleges wliicli had received the land scri]) made an 
effort to obtain the whole for tliose colleges. Finally, the parties 
representing these two interests agreed to amend tlieir respective 
bills so as to give to each one-half the annual proceeds of the land 
sales, and both to unite in passing the two bills as thus amended.- 
Flad the two interests been embodied in one bill there is little room 
for doubting that the bill would have passed ; but owing to the near 
approach of the adjournment, and possibly to some distrust existing 
among the leaders of rival interests, the movement failed at the 
crisis. 

OBJECTIONS MADE TO ASKING YOli THE I'L IJLIC LANDS FOK EDU(^ATIONAT.. 

ruErosES. 

Some persons dread certain conditions which might possibly 
be attached to such a grant, as for example the fatal condition of 
mixed schools, and fear also that it might occasion an increase of 
Federal authority over the States, wliich may well be deprecated. 
But Avhilst such objections suggest points which will need to be 
watched, I hope that there is no serious danger of abuse or humilia- 
tion ; and tliat some strikingly good ends miglit be incidentally 
accomplished. 

coNJ:)rnoNs oe thio i'uoi'Osed okant. 

The terms required of the States should be extremely simple, and 
be confined to a designation of the object for which the grant is 
made, and subsequent evidence that the terms of the grant are 
observed. It would seem best, at least whilst there is so much dis- 
honesty in some of our State governments to apportion only the 



annual proceeils of sale?, in amount rano-ing from one to three 
millions, so that perversion may be guarded against -by the reserved 
power of withholding the annuities. It is expected that an annual 
report of school statistics to the Bureau of Education at Washing- 
ton will be recpiired as a condition of the grant, and although some 
feeling of aversion to this may arise at the first blush, there is really 
nothing portentous in it, and it is to my mind a valuable feature in 
the scheme. 

Those "who have to deal practically with this nuittcr of State 
education know what need there is of some central depot of infor- 
mation, where educational facts from all parts of the world may be 
gathered, digested and distributed over the country, as is done by 
the present Bureau of Education. This is a work too large and 
costly for any State office, and yet is important to all. This Bureau 
is intended to occupy a position on educational matters similar to 
that occupied in their respective spheres by the Bureaus of Agri- 
culture and of statistics; and should never be allowed to go beyond 
this. 

It may as well be remarked here, that although there is a small 
party desiring to establish the National University so urgently advo- 
cated by Crencral Washington, there is no party, or even individual 
known to me who desires to see a national system of education. 
I presume that if such a project ^vere started, it would soon be put 
down not only by tlie indignant frown of the whole country, but 
not less by the opposition of all enlightened educators, for educa- 
tional reasons. 

The separate State is the largest unit that will ever be wanted for 
a school system, and the inevitable tendency in the future will be 
toward a decentralization of school operations ; because every sound 
theory of education tends toward private and individual action as 
rapidly as the increase of general intelligence will admit of it. There 
w^ill always be some things which tlie State can do better than indi- 
viduals, and hence the State should be the patron and systematizer 
of educational operations; but her authoritative interference will 
tend to diminisli ratlier than increase. 

vON AVIIAT I'ARTIorr^AK OlMKCTS Sn'oULD THE CiRAXT iJE UESTOWED ':! 

Considerable difiei"ence of opinion is found to exist on this })oint ; 
the si)ecial fi'iends of primary, secondaiy. and agricultural and me- 
<;hani('al education, all being in pursuit of tlie ])rize. If it be deter- 
mined to g • outside the public free school systems of the several 
States, it would, in my opinion, be best to designate st-hools under 
State control, giving free education, primar}', secondary, or technical, 
^nd allow the legislatures to distribute the funds in (hie i)roportion 
among these tliree classes of schools. 

As soon we leave the great j)opular school interest, and direct our 
atteurio;! to .miiv ,';,!ier de[)artment of education, we not only behold 



an arena covered with contestants, representini;- partial as contrasted' 
with general interests, but we find a great diversity in t\\G actual 
wants of tiie different States, and in the different wants of different 
schools of the same class in the same State, wliether tliose schools 
be secondary or upper, technical or gymnastic. Cornell university,, 
for example, has a vested fund of near $-l:,000,000, besides pro])erty 
wortli perhaps sT50,(iOO ; and wliilst it is one of the grandest insti- 
tutions in tlie world, iiow could one justify legislation wliich would 
bestow u])on tliat institution an additional share of the public domain 
in the ])resence of such frightful educational want and co-existent 
pecuniary distress as are afflicting many parts of the land ! But 
such vrould liave been rlic result if tlie l)ills of last winter had beeis 
passed. 

The conviction is rapidly spreading that the use made of tlie con 
gressional bounty of 1802 in most cases has not been in accordance- 
with either the letter or the spirit of the grant, and no doubt a vigo- 
rous opposition will be made to further indiscriminate grants in the- 
same dii'ection. The evident design of Congress in apportioning 
that land scrip, and the only design which would have justified an 
act of the kind, was to bring the best results of science and of the 
world's experience, to bear immcdiatiiy upon practical agricultsire 
and the nieclianic arts, and thus raise up a class of trained farmer,- 
and mechanics. In many cases, however, the fund was bestowed 
upon institutions of general learnini>', which simply gave a somewhat 
fuller development to scientific studies, pure and applied, such a> 
already existed in all our best colleges. 

There Averc a number of exceptions to this statement, and I am 
liappy to be able to say, that Virginia is among the exceptions, and 
it is because I regard such really technical schools as we have estab- 
lished as possessing so much more practical value for the industrial 
classes than institutions for general culture, that I should like the 
States, and particularly the Southern States, to have an opportunity 
to correct their eri'ors. The southern negroes above all things need 
just such training as is given at our Hampton Institute, where hand- 
icraft constitutes a large element in teaching. Our working farmers 
generally need to be taught the secrets of Holland and Belgium; and 
our meclianics should learn to win medals at every world's exposition.. 

THE IIASIS OF A]'P0RTI0^'MJ<:NT. 

I do not see liow any fair mind can question the proposition that 
if the lands are to be divided among all the States, Congress should 
first set apart for each of the States tliat have received nothing a 
share of land bearing the same proportion to her territory that Z(9i^ 
10 in each township and the two university townships boi-e to the 
States receiving these lots. This self-evidencing claim is strengtli- 
ened by the fact that several of the old States who have received 
nothing are in grievous straits, v.-liilst most of the newer States are 
easy and thriving. And what is equally true though not equally 



obvious, is the fact that the cheap hinds, large eiiclowineiits and light 
taxes of tlie endowed States have exerted a constant inflnence in 
draining the older States of their population. Perhaps it is too 
much to hope for, but how noble a moral spectacle it would be to 
see the representatives of the wliole 37 States and 10 territories, 
taking up this great land account, patiently reviewing all the trans- 
actions connected with it from the beginning, and agreeing upon a 
final settlement and distribution, which would do full justice to the 
claims of each and all ! If this basis of division be not adopted, 
then must be heard another set of equities scarcely second, possibly 
superior, to tlie one just presented. 



THE SPECIAI. WANT OF THE SOUTHERN STATES. 

The special reasons why the Soutliern States might hope to re- 
ceive extra aid in educating her people, arise from several circum- 
stances, such as the peculiar lack, necessity and desire for popular 
education, and the often mentioned, though not half understood, 
poverty which renders tlie expense in most cases so heavy a burden 
as to be almost, if not altogether, beyond the ability of tlie people 
to accomplish the work. To these should be added the unhappy 
civil condition of most of the Southern States. The evil already 
wrouo-ht, tlie anxietv as to the future, the ever existino; dano-er of 
some overwhelming catastrophe, and the helplessness of the sub- 
stantial and enlightened classes in some of the States, present a 
picture so melancholy that patriots of all sections and all parties 
might wisely waive discussion and crimination as to the past, and 
unite in i-escuing the good that remains. 

The tables given below indicate that the registei*ed adult illiterates 
constitute nearly one-half the adult population. But the proportion 
is always greater than reported, because even illiterate men do not 
like to attest their own ignorance, and often claim to have a know- 
ledge of letters, when they have no amount of knowledge, Avhicli 
entitles them to a place among the lettered, although they may be 
so registered. On this point. Gov. Campbell, of Virginia, during 
his incumbency, collected facts which led him to declare liis belief 
that the real illiteracy in a State could be appi'oximated only by 
adding 40 per cent, to the figures of the census. Horace Mann put 
the ratio at 30 per cent., and at this rate it is commonly placed by 
educational statisticians. But it requires not nearly so high a rate 
as this to give the illiterates a decided majoritv in everv Southern 
State. 

]>ut there is this precious beam of hope relieving the darkness — 
this mass of ignorance craves the light. And what is equally 
encouraging, the intelligent substantial minority of the people desire 
to liave general education, plainly seeing that iii this is the only hope 



8 

of deliverance. Bat look at the miglity (ask imposed upon feeble 
hands ! How can they possibly accomplish it without help ! In 
order that the magnitude of the work as contrasted with the feeble- 
ness of the means may be properly comprehended, I have prepared 
the following series of tables, wliose significant lesson should be 
deeply pondered. 

TABLE 11. 
^hoivinfj 2^opidcdion of KoriUern and Southern Stcdes. 

WHOLE POPULATION. 

White. Colored. Total. 

In eleven Southern States 5,544,488 ;],939,03'2 9,487,380 

111 Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, 

andAVest Yiro-inia 3,731,318 533,053 4,205,213 

9,275,8 00 4,472^085 13,752,599 

SCHOOL POPULATION. 

White. Colored. Total 

In eleven Southern States 2,245,784 1,595,850 3,841,634 

111 Kentucky, Maryland, ^lissouri. 

West Ylrginia 1,476,545 219,725 1,696,270 

3,722,329 1,815,575 5,537,904 

WHOLE POPULATION. 

White. Colored. Total. 

In Xorthevii States 23,927,272 362,422 ^., 24,303,027 

SCHOOL POPULATION. ; 

. White. Colored. Total. 

In X()]-t]>eni States 8,673,643 127,751 S.837,394 

rev ceni. of drdercdesfrom 10-21 tojjojjidcdion of same aae. 

In Sontliern States (includhig- Kentuckv, Maryland, Missouri and 

West Virginia) .^. \ 44.08 

In Northern States (including Western) 6.11 

Per cent, of dlifcrate males^ 21 andocc}\ lo inal': jtopid.atioii of sanif oi/r. 

In the 15 Soutliern States 33.19 

hi the 22 Northern «#ates 7.43 

And the painful fact must be stated, tliat even among the 'tv/dtes, 
in the eleven southern States proper, the percentage of illiteracy 
increased from 7.1 in 1S60 to 9.8 in 1870 — owing no doubt to the 
war. 

TUK rOST Ol'^ THE EDrC.\'l-IONAL WOKK NEIODE]). 

Twenty-four per cent, of the Avhole pojiulation of the northern 
States proper are enrolled in tlieir public seliools. To educate 



9 

twenty-four per cent, of the population of the southern States, for 
eight months in the year, at the rate of seventy-five cents per month 
for the tuition of eacli schohir enrolled, would cost annually as 
follows : 

[TABLE [II.] 

Ahibiuna $1,435,008 4S 

Arkansas 097,038 24 

Florida 270,357 12 

•Georgia 1,705,110 90 

Louisiana 1,040,757 GO 

:Mississippi 1,192,207 08 

Xorth Carolina 1,542,759 84 

■.South Carolina ' 1,010,072 04 

Tennessee 1,812,208 80 

Texas 1,178,753 70 

Viro-inia 1,704,234 72 

Total 5513,001,835 84 

TUi: rKCUNIARY KEVERSP:s 01" THE SOUTIIEKX TEOrLE. 

The next table shows that between 1860 and 1870 the Southern 
people lost more than half their toealth. So gigantic a reverse, 
coming simultaneously upon eleven adjoining States in so short a 
time, is perhaps unequalled in modern times. The loss in the ten 
years amounted to $2,910,057,515. About one-half the property 
lost consisted of slaves. Even the half was almost equal in value to 
all the property in New England, excepting Massachusetts. But the 
■slave property was not only marketable wealth, but was the most 
•convertible of all th^^ foruis of property ; and it was so widely dif- 
fused that it entered as a large element into the pecuniary arrange- 
ments of every man of property, and into all forms of production. 
Hence the magnitude of the reverse far exceeds the amount indi- 
cated by figures, because the destruction of one-half the capital 
decreased the production of the other half. Indeed, it may be said 
without exaggeration, that the majority of the Southern property- 
holders were ruined by the change. A large portion of the real 
estate is still held by men who can neither sell nor use it to advan- 
tage, and prosperity can return only by a slow and painful process. 
How poorly })repared, then, are the Southern people to carry on a 
work which for its proper performance will require them to raise 
^annually an amount equal to a tax of lifty cents on every hundred 
dollars' worth of ]">roperty left in the eleven States. 



10 







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11 



Tin: COMPARATIVE AVEALTIl OF rilK NOKTIIKKX AND SOUTJIEEN r]:0]'I>E, 

The most impressive picture of all is given in the next table^ 
where the case is brought down to the individual. In the decade 
under consideration, the Northerners individually more than doubled 
their wealth, whilst ruin was coming upon the South. At the be- 
ginning, the individual Southerner was worth double as much as- 
the Northerner. Now^ the Northerner is worth three times as much 
as the Southernei". '' What is one man's meat is another manV 
poison." 

[iwiiu-: v.] 



Tfiic ralue qt' lieol (ind I'c/'sonal Property hi ilia Xortlicrn and Soidhcni Siatcs^ 
per head of free poindation. 



Xortlierii Stute^. In 1800. lu 1870 



(California 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Illinois 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

^liiine 

Massachusetts 

-Afichigan 

Minnesota 

ZSTebraska 

NTevada 

Xew Hampsliive. ... 

Xew Jersey 

Xew York 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 

IJhode Island 

Vermont 

AVisconsin 



8547 07 
9G5 50 
418 79 

509 21 
391 60 
3GG 47 
292 22 
302 75 
GG2 22 
313 2-1 
309 9G 
31G 7G 
38G 20 
479 39 
G9G 27 
4Z4 99 

510 32 
551 42 
487 40 
775 04 
388 69 
352 72 



Average i .*§461 63 



In 18- 


■0. 

1 
1 


$1,140 15| 


1.441 


29 


777 


35 


835 


34 


875 


46 


601 


12 , 


518 


36 1 


555 


34 


1,463 03 


607 40 


520 59 1 


563 


26 


732 


71 


793 67! 


1,038 48 


1,483 27 


838 


72 


567 00 II 


1,081 


31 


1.366 0011 


711 


991 


665 90 1 

1 


$974 


73 



Southern States. 



Alabama 

.Vrkansas 

Florida 

Georgia 

Louisiana 

^Mississippi 

Xorth Carolina 
South Carolina 

Tennessee 

Texas 

Yirguiia 



In 1860. 



$936 

67(J 

929 

1,084 

1.600 

1,712 

543 

1,819 

592 

866 

1,149 



Av(M-age 



81,016 09 



In 1870. 



$202 4<; 
322 82 
235 23 
226 4G 
444 51 
252 67 
243 38 
294 94 
396 00 
194 00 

334 :n 



$288 '^^^ 



WUAT TUE SOUTir li NOW DOING FOR EDUCATION AS COMPARED WITH 

THE NORTH. 

[TABLE VI.l 

Sfcdistie.s of PidjUc Schools "-v f/iven in Reporifi for 1871 or 1872 {t/te hdesi 

accessible). 

Total pupils in the 11 sortihern States 982,223 

'• 23 northern States 5,912,816 

'• in Maryland, Kentuckj^ and Missoin-i., 566,619 

•• • in tJie 8 territories 52,503 

I'otal in States and tcrrltoi-les.; 7,51-1.161 



1^ 

Pel' cent, of whole poiuilatioii enrolled in public schools : 

In 10 southern States 12 

In 23 northern States 21.5 

In Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri 14.1! 

In 8 territories 12.1) 

Averao-e per cent, for United States 20.1 

Averag-e lenotJi of school term : 

In 8 southern States 4 mo. lo d. 

In 23 northern States (I mo. 1.2 d. 

In Maryland and Missouri 7 mo. 

In 8 territories 5 mo. 14 d. 

Avera o-e for United States mo. 3 d . 

Xote. — There i^ no report from Tennessee, and there are other defects which 
mar the perfect accuracy of the above summary; but it is !i close approximation. 

Here we find that within seven years after the hesoin of destruction 
had swept over this southern land its public schools included pro- 
portionally four-sevenths as many children — and these of both 
races, as do the schools of the IS"orth, and were continued three- 
fourths as long ! And when these facts are considered in connection 
with the comparative wealth of the two sections, it is seen that the 
South, with one-third of the abilit}^, is doing about two-thirds as 
much educating as the North : or, in other words, fo)' every one ])er 
cent, on his property that the Northerner pays for public education, 
the Southerner jxtys two jjer cent. And the statement is intensified 
tremendously when it is remembered that about half the Southern 
people (including freedmen) own no property at all ; so that it may 
be safely said that the average Southern property-holder is to-day 
paying three times as heavy a school-tax as the Northern property- 
holder. And yet this great work to which the Southern people have 
been tasked by the inexorable necessity of self-preservation is yet 
only half done ! Can it be possible that these eloquent facts will 
be disregarded in the distribution of national subsidies ! 

THE FKKEDilKX. 

In 1870 the eleven southern States which have been grouped 
together in tliis discussion contained 3,942,898 negroes, without 
education and without property'. Yet among these people there is a 
greater desire for education than has probably ever befoi'e existed 
amono' illiterates, as is abundantly attested 1>\' the educational sta- 
tistics. 

Witli regard to theireducation I remark: 

1. The negroes mnst be educated ah extra^ or not at all. That is 
to say, their poverty and nnthrift will consign them to liopeless 
ignorance, if not to ultimate barbarism, nnlcss the earlier gene- 



13 



rations at least are cclncated by otlier means than tlicir own. 80 
that the question is narrowed to this alternative: either their late 
owners, who have been well-nigh ruined bv losino- them, must edu- 
cate these people, or the Government which set them free niust do 
It. 1 may as vrell here make some statements needed to i-emove 
(•ertam wrong impressions, wliich liave prejudiced this cause in 
Congress. 

(^.). The ex-slaveholders as a (dass have not the least expectation 
ot being paid for their slaves. They do not pretend to think that 
according; to the laws of govei-nment, or war, the destruction of their 
property m slaves was justiiiable. But there is no seiious thouc^lit 
ot ever re-opening the question. - ^ 

(b.) The Southern people do not expect the payment of any pai-t 
ot tlie public war debts, Confederate, State, or local. They are not 
Ignorant of the law of post-liminy, and will probably for generation- 
view the subject very differently from the way in which il is viewed 
by the people of the North. But all sucir opinions of necessity 
have passed into the region of abstractions. 

(c.) Nor do individuals who were identified with the Confederate 
cause, expect pay for the supplies consumed by the Federal armies 
or tor the robberies committed. All these have gone to the account 
ot pront and loss. 

(V^.) There is no prevailing disposition among the whites to r,i3pre<s 
01; cast out the negroes, or to deny to them education, or their con- 
stitutional rights. But in spite of the political contests on the race^ 
line, the personal relations between the white and colored people 
are not only friendly, but are more free and genial than coimnonlv 
exist between the corresponding classes of whites. 

Upon the whole, I mean to say that 1 know of nothino- in the 
general sentiment at the South which may justly be nsed^to com- 
plicate the matter. And now I add that the cost of educatino^ 9j, 
per cent, of these people for S montlis, would be about $5 700 000- 
an amount winch the white people are in no condition to spare every 

1 --The relations of the Federal Government to the freedmen for 
the tirst_live years were quasi-parental. The creation of the Freed- 
man s J>ureau and the enormous amount of monev placed in it< 
hands for educational as well as other purposes was a distinct otlicial 
recognition of the fact that the government in removing these poor 
Ignorant Africans from the care of their masters, assumed the 
relation ot at least a guardian to a ward, as was freely declared at 
the time m authoritative quarters. But could it justh' be expected 
that m live years a slave population could make suciradvance as to 
dispense with aid trom its guardian government ? I am aware that 
the ballot M-as exiiected to be the talisman which would cure all 



u 

ovils. But every enlightened American knows tluit Pandora's box 
is the better figure for the ])allot in the hands of ignorance, whether 
existing in one race or another. To say the least, the ballot makes 
nobody rich, and may make everybody poor, if wrongly nsed. If 
by the ballot the illiterate be made strong enongh to command the 
propert}^ of the country, how could anything be expected but a 
common I'uin, in which education would ]3erish with everything else. 
In other woi'ds tin's talisman would not be a cure-all but a kill all I 

3. In view of such facts, the sober judgment of the country must 
.and will settle upon these two points : 1st. That the sudden whole- 
sale enfianchisement of the Southern illiterates was a blunder, and 
2nd. Tliat the only effective remedial measure now within the power 
of the Federal Government is tlie most liberal provision for en- 
ligh.tening the growing crop of voters. 

It is said that after one of the civil wars among the Swiss Can- 
tons, the victors made common cause with the vanquished, by con- 
:solidating the entire cost of the war on both sides, and making it a 
common debt. As already said, nothing of this sort is expected by 
tlie Southern people, but there is one agonizing desire ; it is ^br 
honest, eid'Ujldcned local (jovernment, and for deliverance, not only 
from the actual incubus, but from the constant dread of semi-bar- 
l)rir<Mis I'uk'. 

JllK TOTAL ITDLIC lU K1)]:X> OF THK SOUTHERN STATES. 

In January of this year, Gov. "Walker ascertained from the best 
sources, that the debts of the whole 37 States do not exceed $300- 
000,000. How astonishing to find that one-half of this amount is 
owed by these 11 Southern States ! How the}^ came to owe so much 
is a question which might well be considered in connection with 
the main point under consideration. None of it is war debt. Many 
millions of it are post-war debt, created by villainy put into power 
Z»// ignorance. Leaving out contingent liabilities, whicli amount to 
over 1^20.000.000, I o-ive the followino- stateuient of 

[TABU-: \I1.J 

lUE rUlU.LC DEUr C.E THE 11 SOlTHEJiX S'lVvTKS. 

Alabama ^^8,478.01^ 00 Xorrli Carolina ;!(;,(;si.4()7 1') 

.Ai-kaHsa.< ,"3.540.000 00 South Carolina T.dtio.DOl) (Ml 

Vlorida ],288,G97 00 Temicsspo ;n,r,8r),;r22 08 

Oeoro-ia 8,18.0.500 00 Texas 2.280.71(i 87 

Louisiana 24,003,407 00 Yiroinia ;}2,000^000 00 

Mi.«-is«:ippi 2.G70.C18 08 ' '■ '- 

.4^100.484,050 08 
Dcdnctini:- ceriain a-ots 10.484.050 00 



,sl 50.000.000 00 



15 

If tlioso debts bear on an average six per eeiit. interest, tlieii 
$9,000,000 will be. required annually for this purpose. I have no 
means of ascertaining what is the cost Jof maintaining the various 
State governments in their ordinary operations, or wdiat is the amount 
of county, city, township and other local taxation, but it cannot be 
less than §3,000,000 on the average to. each State ; which would 
give 833,000,000. To this add what was paid for pnblic free edii- 
CAtion according to the latest reports. 

[tap>t;k n'iil] 

]:xi'j-:.\i)rri KKS for public kduoatiox. 

Alabama s(]40.G27 Xoi-th Carolina 217.40!) 

Arkansas (525, Ooi; Soutl i Carolina 42."i. 000 

Florida 129,480 Teunossec no report 

Georgia 202,000 Toxa.-^ 1,217.101 

Louisiana 5.")4.1)73 Anri>i)u:i 91)o.:{18 

Mississippi.- 1.211]. 248 ' , 

.^O.IlOs.l.-)!) 

Finallv, add 

[TAr.],E IX.] 

FEDEIJAI. TAXES IX 18T-. 

Alabama !<2.'58.1(;0 14 North Carolina 1.108.524 71) 

Arkansas 04.801 22 South Carolhia 100,181 40 

Florida 00.455 (14 Tennessee 70(5,840 20 

Georgia 588,U)0 18 Texas 822,850 20 

Louisiana 1.627,782 2(5 Viroinia 4,080;027 08 

Mississippi 188.r;75 44 

.vl0.112.4<58 40 



>rA[^[AKY OF ANNFAI. ]:.\J'ENSES OF Till': SOrilllORX >TATK>. 



Interest on State debts « 0,000,000 

State and local expense^ for general purposes 88,000.000 

Expenses for i>u1)lie free eilueation 0,808.150 

Federal taxation 10'll2.4(58 



Total animal ('xpenses s.",S. 420. (52 7 

The true value of all the real and personal )>roi>ert\' in these 
States being $2',T38,()89,037. and tlie assessed value onlv $2,023,- 
709,546, it will be seen that tlie amount now denianded for current 
uses represents a taxation on i)roperty of over i' per cent, on trne 
value, and nearly '> per cent, on assessed value; A\hic]i is certainh- 
more tlian the property yields. 

In a word, instead of dreaming that t\n:i^ij eleven States can add 
to their present burdens some seven nnllious for education, or for 
any other purpose, we should lecogni/e the distressing fact tliat. 



16 

viewed as a whole, tliey are already on the decline^ and must soon- 
be in a condition of hopeless bankruptcy, unless they repudiate their 
debts, or else receive help. This is not true of every one of them. 
It is not true of Virginia, because we have lighter taxes, more re- 
sources, and a better State government than the most of our unfor- 
tunate sisters. Nor is it true of a few others ; but it is strictly true 
of many, if not of the most of them. Thriving commercial com- 
]nunities like tliat of New York city may find the payment of 2 or 
3 per cent, on their property for public objects even a paying invest- 
juent, but on broken down agricultural communities it is killing. 
Cotton, the only paying crop, has thus far saved the planting States 
from utter despair; but the over-production which will soon result 
from this state of things will break the last prop of the cotton 
States. Industry must perish when its profits all go to the tax- 
gatherer; and as enterprise dies indebtedness grows, until there is 
no alternative but the miseries of pauperism or the deep disgrace of 
repudiation. 

What ]nan with h spark of patriotisjn, or even humanity in his- 
soul, can look upon these struggling communities without an im- 
pulse to help them ! Can anybody as a national policy advocate the 
barbarizing of eight or ten States ! The nicest sense of honor can 
do nothing in the clutches of inexorable necessity : and if the worst 
should come to the Avorst in even two or three States, the coldest sel- 
fishness can foresee the wortlilessness of American ci-eelit in the- 
markets of the world ! What financial occurrence within this gene- 
ration so shook American credit as the repudiation of her debt by 
the State of Mississippi ; and when Pennsylvania for a brief season 
postponed her engagements, what a shudder ran through the mone- 
tary world ! With such a debt as the United States Government 
has to manage, can she afford to allow even one of these States to- 
perish 'i The a})plication of tliese remarks to the subject in hand is- 
easily seen. Without including Tennessee, which also has a school 
system, these southern States in all their ])overty are paying now- 
over §0,000,000 a year for the free, impartial education of lier peo- 
ple, white and black; which, as has been said, is far more in pro- 
portion to means than the Northern peo])le are paying, but still they 
are not paying half enough to accomplish the objects fully. Seven 
millions dollars more are wanted ; and wanted for whose benefit f: 
Let us see. 

In 1S70 the colored population of tlie 11 Southern States Jium- 
bered 3,039,032 ; we may now say 4,000,000. To educate 24 per cent. 
of these for S months in the year would cost nearly §0,000,(K)0 for 
merely current expenses. The total annual income to the General 
Goverinnent from the sale of the ])ublic lands has not usually ex- 
ceeded $1,500,000, and sometimes does not go beyond a millioiu 
although for a year or two it has exceeded $3,000,000. But wliy 
divide this pittance among 37 States when such a speC.aclc of want 
is l)cfore tlic countrv I 



18 



tend the benefits of this depiirtment to the South as hiro-el}^ as is consistent ^vith 
a faithful discharo-e of duty. Apart from tlie consideration of the sacrifice of 
human life, the Northern States were benefitted b}' the war ; whilst all evil con- 
sequences have been visited upon tlie Soutli. I do believe that A^orthern men 
generally now sympathize with the Southern people in their present condition, 
and I believe their representatives in Congress would do anything- for their relief 
which was within their constitutional power.-' 

{Beo. 15. — WJiilst this report is passing throiigli tlie press, I add 
that the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Repre- 
sentatives, on the 9th instant, unanimously reported through its 
chairman. Mr. Hoar of Massachusetts, a bill set4-ing apart the entire 
income from the public lands for the use of jmhllc free schools in 
the 8 fates, without any unpleasant conditions; p^?zv/rZ^r7, that for the 
flrst Jive years the apportionment shall be made on tlie basis, of 
illiteracy of popuhition of ten yeai-s and over. Good 1 I should 
regret the cutting off of our technical schools from all possible ben- 
efit, and hope the bill may be amended in their favor, according to 
the views expressed heretofore. 

It is very desirable that our people should manifest an interest in 
this great movement, which promises so much benefit to the Southern 
States. The tlon. Thomas Whitehead, of Virginia, is on the above- 
named committee, and is acting vigorously in behalf of the bill. The 
following table will be useful as a basis of calculation :] 

[TABLE X.] 
Kvmher of Illiterates ten years old and over. 



Alabama 383,012 

Arkansas 133,339 

Florida 71,803 

Georgia 468,593 

Louisiana 27B,lo8 

Mississinpi 313,310 

N'orth Carolina 397,690 

South Carolina 290,379 

Tennessee 364, 697 

Texas 221,703 

Vi rgi n ia : 445 , 8 9 3 



Nevada 872 

Xew Hampshire 9,926 

iS'ew Jersey 54,687 

Xew York ". 239,271 

Ohio 173,172 

Oregon 4,427 

Pennsylvania 222,356 

Khode'WanVi 21,921 

Yermont 17,7i)6 

^Yiscciisln 55,441 



Kentucky 332,176 

Maryland 135,499 

^Missouri 222,411 

West Virginia 81.490 

California 31,710 

Connecticn.t 29 616 

Delaware 23,100 

Illinois -...133,584 

Indiana 127,124 



of States... 



Teii-iiorjfs. 



5.552.488 



Iowa 

Kansa-- 

Maine 

Massaclnisetts 
Michiii'an 



45.671 
24,550 
19,052 
97,742 
53,127 



Arizona 2.753 

Colorado (5,823 

Dakota 1,563 

District of Colmnbia 28,719 

Idaho 3,388 

Montana . 918 

M <nv Mexico 52,220 

Utah 7,363 

Washington 1.307 

^V vominjT 602 



^linnesota •. 24,413 



Total of ten-itorips. 



...105.656 



Xebraska 



4.sr;T 



Crand total 5.6.58.141 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




17 I 

"0 021 324 694 fl 

NORTHERN SENTIMENT ON THE SUBJECT. 

Gen. Eaton, the United States Commissioner of Education, who 
was appointed by Gen. Grant, has in his published Reports strongly 
recommended special aid to the Southei'n States. The same recom- 
mendation was made by the xS^ational Educational Association whicli 
met in St. Louis two years ago. Similar sentiments have been ex- 
pressed on the floor of Congress by Northern men, and in many 
other influential quarters. Among the latest and most decided 
expressions is by no'less influential a person than Rev. Henry Ward 
Beecher in a speech delivered November 5th, (of this year) in New 
York at the anniversary of the American Missionary Association. 
The following extract from that speech is woi'thy of careful atten- 
tion, espec^ially the latter part : 

'*We have done innch for the freedmenof tho South, but Ave have not done one 
titlie of ^^'hat we should have done. * * * * * * 

The work of educathio- mid thereby elevating- the poor freedmen of the South is 
imperative. It must be done. We may labor for this from motives of benevo- 
lence or not, but 2ce must do the work ! Suppose we allow the element of selfish- 
ness to influence our action? Tlie peace and order of the nation demand that 
everj' man shall be educated. 

•' Of course, I do not object to liavino- the top of society educated, but what 
house-Avife is so foolish as to build the fire on the top of tlie bi,i>- kettle. We' must 
not neglect the poor and degraded — we dare not neglect them. Our energies 
are too much directed to the education of the upper classes. What we Avant is 
to put our schools under the bottom. Then Ave shall ha\-e such groAvth and 
strength among the noAV stunted and Aveak as sliall make the heart of tlie AA'orld 
glad at the cliange." 

"So deeply am I interested in this subject ; so important do I deem the im- 
proA'ement of the colored race, that I do not hesitate to give it as iny deliberate con- 
viction that it would not be impolitic or unsafe or extravagant for the nation to 
expend all its funds in the education of the negroes. For the interest of the South, 
as being the interest of all the States, there can be no better thing to do, than to 
lay the fowl dation of a universal education system for the former staves.'" 

After finishing this discussion, which in respect to its statements 
concerning the condition of tl\e Southern States, is based largely on 
the census of 1870, I sought for the latest information concerning 
these States, by addressing the Hon. Frederick Watts, United Sta^tes 
Commissioner of Agriculture, who is in constant correspondence 
with all parts of the country in reference to their industrial, and 
particularly agricultural interests. I acquainted him in a general 
way with the statements in this report, and with my object in mak- 
ing them. His reply is dated December 1, 1873, and as is shown 
by the following extract, confirms what I have said as to the wretched 
condition of the Southern States generally, and as to the growing 
disposition of the Northern people to recognize this fact in sub- 
stantial ways. 

"My position here has brought me into an extensive correspondence Avith the 

Soutliern States, and there can be no doubt of the truth AAiiich you state, that 

they are in a most deplorable condition financially, and otherAvise. My attention 

is. constantly called to this state of tilings, and hence mv effort lias been to ex- 

3 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 324 694 A 



